Tag: Comics

DC and WB are trying hard to appease the fans. So hard that they maybe alienating the fans that truly did appreciate the darker take on the Superhero genre they started. Succumbing to the criticism that both previous DCEU movies (Man Of Steel and Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice) were too dark for audiences, the studio execs commissioned reshoots to Suicide Squad in an effort to lighten the tone and make it a tad more action packed. It seems that their gamble may not have paid off as expected. Critics review of the latest DCEU flick are anything but positive and with future projects from rival studios already making the movie yesterday’s news, Suicide Squad is not really delivering what the bigwigs possibly hoped.

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Marvel Studios is an unstoppable behemoth. Ever since the 2008 Iron Man movie, the studio has been churning out movies (and now TV series) to expand and evolve the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spread across three phases, this is possibly the most well planned and profitable movie franchise in movie historyContinue reading →

Studio heads at Disney obviously intend to milk this cash cow to the fullest, especially since there is so much more material in the Marvel Universe to fuel another movie. Official newsof the sequel has already been confirmed and has fans of the movie and the comic books on an excitement high. But as an avid fan of the Marvel Universe (I have read tonnes of the comics and watched a LOT of the animated series), I am willing to wait for another 3-4 years for the sequel to hit the screens. Here’s why…

It’s no secret that the first Avengers movie was a carefully planned super-project by the studio heads. Inkling of the movie began with the post credit scene in the first Iron Man movie way back in 2008. This trend of giving away hints continued with each new Marvel Superhero motion picture in the following months; The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Captain America and most recently Thor. Apart from building up the (absolutely justified) hype, these post credit-scenes and the movies themselves served the important purpose of getting movie audiences familiar with the vast and myriad Marvel universe. Imagine watching (or reading) the final installment in the Harry Potter saga without ANY knowledge of the back-stories of the various characters. You’d walk out of the movie hall with an unmistakable feeling of “What The Eff!”. Simply put we need some more super hero movies from the Marvel Universe (backed by Disney of course) to establish some more back-story and get a better insight into the Marvel universe.

If you stuck around (of course you did!) for the post credits scene of The Avengers, you definitely caught a glimpse of the sinister being grinning as the screen switched to black. The being in question is the celestial villain (not always) Thanoswho is touted to be the villain in the sequel. Marvel fans will tell you that the most memorable and popular comic book story arc associated with Thanos is The Infinity Gauntlet, which is an epic story on its own. However TIG is one in a series of six story arcs in the Infinity Saga that spans across multiple realities and involves almost every single Marvel Superhero and Villain (and there are a LOT!). And the entire saga takes place AFTER Thanos has been resurrected from his death. There are other story arcs prior to his demise. So you see, movie audiences would need some sort of back story to get a feel of the true nature of the (supposedly) new baddie for the upcoming sequel.

A rushed sequel would most likely also suffer from the usual shortcomings. Almost always sequels have very little fresh appeal for the audiences and seem almost formulaic in their plot and story. The adage “If it ain’t broke why fix it” tends to get used a lot when scripting sequels resulting in half-baked clones of the first movie. The writers for the next Avengers movie should patiently skim through the various story arcs, pertaining to their characters, available in the Marvel universe. This may also require stand-alone movies with hints scattered throughout the flick or a simple post-credits scene. Introducing new characters, minor or major, is always a good move, but they’d need to pick the right mix to ensure they don’t affect the familiarity established with the audiences by the first movie and the preceding movie tie-ins.

Also, if the head honchos at Disney are smart, they’ll realize the benefit of spacing out their comic book blockbusters. Apart from piquing the audience interest and building a stronger fan-following, the gaps would keep the franchise fresh. Striking the iron while it’s hot may not be the best option. The Avengers has garnered very high praise and has cemented its place in the hearts of movie audiences globally ensuring a firm fan-base for a sequel no matter how long the wait.

Having said that, I have to admit I am highly anxious to see how this franchise moves forward on the silver screen as well as how other comic-verses are brought to the big-screen. For now, I’ll keep a keen watch for the upcoming sequels and new movies for other superheros in the coming months.

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Playboy, Hugh Hefner’s brainchild, was in the news a few weeks ago. And if you’ve been reading my posts, you’d know exactly why!

The Lifestyle magazine made headlines on 9th Ocotober, 2009, when they announced that Marge Simpson, the matriarch from the famous animated sitcom, “The Simpsons” would be on their November cover. For those who are unfamiliar with the publication (because they were too busy living in the 19th century!), Playboy has been a favorite among men (and even some women) for it’s ‘tasteful’ photography and it’s infamous centerfolds.

This new direction by the magazine certainly changed the ball-game and this blogger began seeing things in a completely different light. For starters I started thinking of other potential female doodles, anime, cartoons (basically anything that was drawn!) who could be future Playboy centerfolds.

Here’s a list (in increasing order of preference) of some toons that I think would make for some cool covers and centerfolds!

LeelaThe one-eyed mutant from Futurama (also from the creator of The Simpsons!) sure packs a mean punch on the show. But when it comes to being a seductive diva, this future gal is a one wicked cat!

SmurfetteThe blue-skinned blonde female smurf is perhaps the most sought after in Smurfville. Wonder what would happen if she did the full-monty. What say Papa Smurf?

Olive OylThe ‘voluptuous’ love-interest of our very Popeye has been the object of contention between the sailor man and his rival, Bluto. Imagine what would happen if they got to really see their gal!

Betty BoopAh, a vintage toon finally. For all those who enjoy experienced and mature women, you can’t go wrong with this lovely lass from the 1930s

Jessica RabbitAnd finally we have a true contender for the next centerfold, the absolutely stunning, dazzlingly beautiful and incredibly sultry wife of Roger Rabbit from the movie Who Framed Roger Rabit? With her on the cover, who needs anything else!

So if you see any of these toon divas on an issue of Playboy, you know who to thank!

PS: Do tell me which other famous toon you’d like to see make the pages of Playboy by leaving a comment to this post.